Loom harness



Sept` 22, 1959 J. J. KAUFMANN 2,995,204

LooM HARNESS Filed sept. 2o, 1955 LooM HARNESS e John J. Kaufmann, Jenkintown, Pa., assignor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 20, 1955, Serial No. 535,486

` vz claims. (cl. 1239-92) This invention relates to loomV harness, and it relates more particularly to improved means for supporting the heddle V'rods intermediate their ends in loom harness frames used in installations in which the entering of the warp is done by means of automatic drawing-in machines, and in which itis necessary that the heddleshave complete freedom'ofmovement on the rods from end to end of the frame.

The present invention relates to supporting means, of the character aforesaid, more particularly adaptable for use in frames in which the top and bottom rails are made of wood.

Heretofore, various attempts have been made to providen loom harness frames, of the character aforesaid, with satisfactory means for supporting the heddle rods intermediate their ends, with parts thereof permanently and rigidly attached to the heddle rods whereby wear on the heddle rods and the rod supporting devices, caused by the shock and movement which occurs when the frames are shedded in the loom, will be eliminated.

It was found to be exceedingly diflicult after the sup- Y porting devices were iixedly secured to the heddle rods,

to bore the holes in the heddle frame rails, by means of which the supporting devices were mounted in the rails, with suicient accuracy so that the frames could be assembled properly and with facility. On the other hand, even when the holes were properly located, another difculty arose by reason of differences in the expansion and contraction of the heddle rods and the top and bottom rails of the frames, by reason of temperature and humidity changes taking place from time to time.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide means for supporting the heddle rods of loom harness frames intermediate their ends, so constructed and arranged that the devices for supporting the heddle rods intermediate their ends may be quickly and easily placed in the rails of the frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device, of the character aforesaid, which will continue to function properly even though changes in temperature and humidity may cause the heddle rods and the rail to expand and contract in different degrees.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device, of the character aforesaid, which will be relatively inexpensive, and which can be made by means of available shop tools.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of a loom harness frame with means for supporting the heddle rods intermediate their ends embodying the main features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, enlarged;

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

" atent r Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6`is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawing herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, in the particular embodiment of the invention therein shown, the heddle frame proper may be of a conventional kind comprising top and bottom rails 10, connected at their ends by end struts 11, and having mounted therein the heddle rods 12 upon which the heddles 13 are slidably mounted. The heddles 13 may be and, preferably are of the type shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of my previous Letters Patent No. 2,047,511.

` The ends of the heddle rods 12 are supported at or near theend struts in any preferred manner whereby they may be readilyl placed in and removed from the frame without endwise movement of the heddle rods.

Such a manner of supporting the heddle rods 12 at their ends is shown, by way of an example, in the Letters Patent ofFrank H. Kaufmann, No. 2,722,949.

i The heddle rods are provided, at the desired locations intermediate their ends, with the supporting devices of thev present invention each comprising a bolt member 14, one end of which is ilattened to provide a head piece 15 to which a heddle rod 12 is secured by rivets 16 or other' 'suitable rigid, and permanent fastening means. Welding at this'point may, if desired, be used in lieu of the rivets 16.

A spacing bar 17 is interposed in each instance between the heddle rod 12 and the head portion 15 of the bolt member 14.

The outer end of the bolt 14 is threaded as at 18, and on said threaded portion 18 there is mounted a complementally threaded sleeve 19 provided with an annular shoulder 20 and a head portion 21 beyond said shoulder 20. Said head portion 21 is transversley slotted as at 22 whereby the sleeve 19 may be rotated by means of a screwdriver or similar tool for the adjustment of the bolt 14 to bring the heddle rod to its proper position in the frame whereby the heddle rods may be brought to properly spaced parallelism in the frame.

The annular shoulder 20 of the sleeve 19 is positioned between two elongated plate members 23 and 24, which are secured to the outer edge portion of the rail member 10, by means of wood screws 25, which serve, when tightened, to grip said shoulder 20 to prevent undesired turning of the sleeve 19.

The holes 26 and 27 in the rail 10 through which the bolt member 14, and the sleeve member 19 respectively pass are each of a greater dimension in direction of the length of the rail than the diameter of said bolt 14 and sleeve 19 respectively, and the holes 28 in the plate members 23 and 24 through which the wood screws 25 pass are likewise of a greater length in the longitudinal direction of the frame than the diameter of said Wood screws 25.

By the foregoing arrangement there is provided a loom harness frame which is so constructed and arranged that the devices for supporting the heddle rods intermediate their ends may be fixedly and permanently secured initially to the heddle rods at the desired locations, after which the bolt portions of the supporting devices may be inserted in their holes in the frame, and then engaged by the adjusting sleeves 19 and the heddle rods brought to the proper positions so as to be parallel to each other, and suitably located with respect to the top and bottom rails of the frame.

The shaping of the holes 26 and 27 in the top and bottom rails, so as to have a greater width in the longitudinal direction of the frame than the diameter of the bolts and sleeves, respectively, will obviate the necessity of extreme accuracy in the location of said holes and, likewise, the provision, in `the gripping plates 23 and 24, of the elongated holes 28 will permit the longitudinal adjustment of said gripping members 23 and 24 to proper positions lengthwise in the frames.

The assembling of the frames provided with the supporting devices as aforesaid will be greatly facilitated notwithstanding the supporting devices are fixedly and permanently secured tothe heddle rods, but also in the event of any differences in the expansion and contraction of the heddle rods and 4the rails due to changes in temperatures and humidity, the same may be readily compensated for by the adjustment of the gripping plates lengthwise in the frames.

I claim:

1. In a loom harness frame comprising top and bottom rails connected at their ends by end struts and having heddle rods removably supported at their ends in the frame, the means for supporting the heddle rods intermediate ttheir ends comprising the provision, at each 1ocation, of a bolt member extending through a hole in the rail, the inner end of said bolt member being lixedly and permanently secured to the heddle rod, a sleeve threaded on the outer end of the bolt member and extending into a hole in the outer edge portion of the rail, said holes in which the bolt member `and sleeve `are located being of la greater dimension in the longitudinal direction of the rail than the diameter of said members respectively, the sleeve member having an annular shoulder, and gripping plates mounted in the outer edge of the edge portion of the rail between which said shoulder is located, and means for Y 4 securing said gripping plates whereby the same are adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the rail.

2. 4In a loom harness frame comprising top and bottom rails connected `at their endsI by end struts and having heddle rods removably supported at their ends in the frame, the means for supporting the heddle yrods intermediate their ends comprising the provision, at each location, of a bolt member extending through a hole in the rail, the inner end of said bolt member being xedly and permanently secured to the heddle rod, la sleeve threaded;

on the outer end of the bolt member and extending into a hole in the outer edge portion of the rail, the holes in which the bolt member and sleeve are located being of a greater dimension in the longitudinal direction of the rail than the diameter of said members respectively, the sleeve member having an yannular shoulder, and gripping plates mounted in the outer edge of the edge portion of the rail between which said shoulder is located, screws extending into the rail, and said gripping plates having holes through which said screws extend, said holes being of a dimension in the longitudinal direction of the rail greater than the diameter of said screws.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS dal. a 

